Production of gases of high oxidizing efficiency.



x C. HORNBOSTEL.

PRODUCTION OF GASE$ OF HIGH OXIDIZING EFFICIENCY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1907.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

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CHARLES HO RNBOSTEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRODUCTION OF GASES OF HIGH OXIDIZING EFFICIENCY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

Application filed May 11, 1907. Serial No. 373,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES Honxnos'rnn, of New York, county of NewYork, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin the Production of Gases of High Oxidizing Efficiency, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of of a high degree of oxidizingeiiiciency, said gases having for the purpose of their application. thetransformation into an oxidized state, of sulfurous and other oxidizablegases and materials which contain oxidizable impurities. These may bepresent in ores, earthy substances, coke. coal gases and othersubstances which. under certain circumstances. should be subjected tothe action of an oxidizing agent.

The object of the invention is the production of gases of high oxidizingenergy, the active properties of which gases result from the contactaction of atmospheric air at ordinary temperatures with certainchemicals of such relatively low cost that they may be economicallyrestored to full activity after having become somewhat ineffective, sothat the process may be worked with a minimum of labor and at a very lowcost. The gases resulting from this treatmentof air may be applied topurposes of combustion, whereby in the use of purely carbonaceous fuelor a mixture of fuel and ore, a very high degree of heat is obtained,and the combustion may be perfected with the relatively smallest volumeof air during a stated period; this combined effect results from thehighly oxidizing properties of the air, whereby the impurities such assulfurous and various organic and inorganic compounds are renderedunobjectionable.

I have found that air, forced at ordinary temperatures, and either atordinary pressure or under considerable pressure, into a mixture, alsoat ordinary temperature, of manganese dioxid, sodium or potassiummanganate and sulfuric acid, causes by its contact and agitating actionon said mixture, a generation of oxygen and ozone, which gases will betaken up by, and become mixed with, the said air. thus giving air ledthrough such a mixture, high oxidizing properties. The said oxygen andozone are produced by the reactions of the chemicals named, but asheretofore known. only ordinary oxygen is produced by the mutualreactions of the said chemicals and only then when heat is apwhichoccur.

my discovery that oxygen is produced by the mutual reaction of saidmanganese dioxid, sodium manganate and sulfuric acid in the cold statethrough the agency of a current of air in causing or promoting suchreaction of the ingredients involved, by its agitating action and veryintimate contact therewith, part of the oxygen so generated beingproduced in its allotropic form of ozone. Furthermore, I have found thatthe oxidizing energy of ozonized air is intensified by the presence. inadmixture, of chlorin gas, and that said chlorin gas may be generated bythe reaction of sodium chlorid with the three chemicals before named,such generation be iug assisted by the contact action of the air whichhas already, by its contact action, assisted in the generation of oxygenand ozone from the mixture of manganese dioxid, sodium or potassiummanganate, and sulfuric acid.

I wish at the outset to state that the invention is limited to thespecific manner of increasing the oxidizing energy of the air by suchadditions of oxygen, ozone, and chlorin, induced, by the contact ofatmospheric air with the chemicals employed, and does not relate toother conditions, such as will be obtained by the action of applied heatwith the resulting chemical changes In fact the efficiency of theprocess is seriously impaired, if not destroyed, if heat from anexternal source is applied, but it is to be distinctly understood thatsome heat will be generated in the mixture which I employ due to thechemical reaction induced by the agitating action of the air led throughthe mixture, which generation of heat may cause other reactions whichhelp effect my process.

plied. A part of my invention is based on \Vhen air at ordinarytemperatures is blown or forced at either ordinary or high pressure intoa mixture of manganese dioxid, sodium manganate, and sulfuric acid, theair by its contact and agitating action causes the following reaction,Without the application of heat to the materials, to take place:

a peculiar feature of the reaction so induced being that the oxygen soproduced is, to a large extent, in its allotro ic form of ozone. Theheat generated by t e chemical. reac tion, though not of a great degree,is sutficient to promote a further reaction between the manganese dioxidand sulfuric acid, thus producing more oxygen, in this manner:

The water so produced in this and the first reaction above given, will,in the form of steam, react with sodium manganate with the production ofmore oxygen, as follows:

The air, with the additional quantities of oxygen thus given it,together with the ozone so produced, by its agitating action, inducesthe generation of chlorin gas, by the well-known reaction between sodiumchlorid, sulfuric acid, and manganese dioxid, but without theapplication of heat.

In carrying out my process I lead atmospheric air into contact with amixture of manganate of soda (or its chemical equiva' lent manganate ofpotash), peroxid of manganese, sulfuric acid and chlorid of sodium.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a preferred form of apparatusby means of which the purposes of my invention may be effected, suchapparatus being shown mainly in vertical longitudinal section but partlyin side elevation.

It consists of an air blower or fan 00, the opening through which theair is discharged therefrom being connected by a pipe B, shown partlybroken away, with one end of a receptacle A for receiving and holdingthe chemical mixture employed. The said receptacle A is constructed ofmaterials which are acidproof and known to be unacted on by any of thechemicals employed or generated. It is shown as rather shallow inproportion to its length so that the air while passing through it iscompelled to come into intimate contact with the contained chemicalmixture. The receptacle is provided with a partition or wall C by whichit is divided into two compartments, the partition C not being too highto interfere with the progress of the air when passing from onecompartment into the other. The deflector plates D, D, cause theincoming air to pass downwardly into intimate contact with the chemicalmixture spread over the bottom of the receptacle, and E, E, are manholesfor charging in the chemicals and removing those portions which arespent. The confined air, after having its oxidizing properties enhancedby suflicient contact with the.

chemical mixture, passes out by the pipe F, which connects with an endof the receptacle opposite to that at which the pipe B, connects, and bysaid pipe F is led to a furnace, chimney, disinfecting apparatus or anypoint where it is desired to get rid of offensive products.

I adjust the proportions of the chemicals employed according to thepurposes for which the air with its increased oxidizing properties isused, as different operations require different degrees of oxidizingenergy. When using two receptacles, which is the most convenientarrangement of the apparatus by which this part of the process iscarried out, I preferably make up a chemical mixture which is placed inboth receptacles, this mixture containing, by weight, one part of sodiummanganate, ten parts of manganese dioxid in powder form, and elevenparts of sulfuric acid. In preparing this mixture, I first thoroughlymix the sodium manganate and the manganese dioxid, and then graduallyadd by small portions, the sulfuric acid, meanwhile stirring the mass;the manganese dioxid should not contain lime, as the calcium sulfatewhich would be formed is objectionable owing to its tendency to hardenthe mass; I use the ordinary commercial sulfuric acid. This mixtureisplaced in each of the two intercommunicating receptacles, and in oneonly of the receptacles, I add chlorid. of sodium and sulfuric acid,which reacting with the manganese dioxid employed. would generatechlorin. These are added in such proportion as to obtain the desiredpercentage of chlorin in the resultant gaseous mixture; for example, Imay add from one to four pounds of sodium chlorid and an equal quantityof sulfuric acid. As there is a constant generation of chlorin by mutualreaction of the manganese dioxid, sodium chlorid and sulfuric acid, thechemicals in the receptacle which alone contains the sodium chlorid haveto be more frequently renewed than do those in the other receptacle asit will be understood that the manganese dioxid and sulfuric acid willbe more rapidly consumed in the vessel which contains the sodiumchlorid. I add therefore at certain periods, additional quantities ofchlorid of sodium and sulfuric acid. As these are renewedv I removefro-m the receptacle any supernatant acid and byproducts of the reactionbetween the three chemicals mentioned which may have become separatedfrom the mass of chemicals. When recharging the receptacle with sodiumchlorid and sulfuric acid it is better to charge each separately intosaid receptacle, and not mix them until they have entered into contactwith the other ingredients. lVhen, according to certain conditions underwhich my process might be worked, only a limited air pressure can beobtained, I find it best to use a mass of lumps of manganese dioxid ofsuch size that their intervening spaces will allow of the passage of theair. While I prefer to use two receptacles as described, I may use onlyone receptacle which will contain all the chemicals employed, as thechemical action in either case is the same,

that is to say, the mixture of sodium manganate, manganese dioxid andsulfuric acid gives to the air its additional quantities of oxygen andozone, and the chlorin is generated by the mutual action of the sodiumchlorid, manganese dioxid and sulfuric acid in the same manner in theuse of one arrangement as in the other.

My preference for the use of two recep tacles is based on the greaterconvenience with which spent matter may be removed, as the contents ofthe recpetacle in which the chlorid of sodium is employed needs renewingmore frequently and the chemicals in the other receptacle need notnecessarily suffer disturbance, as the mixture of sodium manganate,manganese dioxid and sulfuric acid remains active for a longer period,as before pointed out.

I claim 1. The heroin described process for the production of gases ofhigh oxidizing elliciency,which consists in leading air into con tactwith an alkaline manganate, manganese dioxid, sulfuric acid, and sodiumchlorid, whereby oxygen, ozone, and chlorin are generated and admixedwith said air, and con ducting the resulting gaseous mixture to a pointwhere its oxidizing properties are utilized, substantially as described.

2. The herein described process of producing gases of high oxidizingefliciency which consists in leading air into contact with a mixture ofsodium manganate, manganese dioxid, and sulfuric acid, whereby oxygenand ozone are generated, and simultaneously causing said air to bebrought in contact with a mixture of sodium manganate, manganese dioxid,sulfuric acid and sodium chlorid, whereby chlorin is generated, all ofthe operations being conducted without the application of heat, andfinally leading the gaseous mixture so produced to its point ofapplication, substantially as described.

3. The herein described process which consists in leading air into areceptacle containing sodium manganate, manganese dioxid and sulfuricacid, whereby oxygen and ozone are generated and added to said air, andthen leading the gaseous mixture into a second receptacle containingsodium manganate, manganese dioxid, sulfuric acid, and sodium chlorid,whereby chlorin and additional quantities of oxygen and ozone areproduced, all of the reactions taking place without the application ofheat, and then finally leading the gaseous mixture to a point where itsoxidizing properties are utilized, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 10 day of May, 1907, inthe presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHARLES HORNBOSTEL.

lVitnesses:

MARY B. LETTENBERG, LIZZIE L. COLE.

